Saved by Stars New and Old

4:38 PMAleks Vee

In a match that was compared by the commentator to the snow scene in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, a struggling Dynamo Moscow somehow found its way to a win over a team that should not have been difficult to beat. The first half was another sorry sight for Dynamo fans as the team failed to create chances against an outsider. The scenario was almost as embarrassing as the first half of Reading vs. Arsenal, except that it was scoreless, snowy, and with a last-place Second tier team. Like Arsenal, though, Dynamo had various significant absences, including forwards Balázs Dzsudzsák and Aleksandr Kokorin, defender Luke Wilkshire, and midfielder Aleksandr Sapeta. Dynamo had the ball for less than 15 minutes, long enough for Christian Noboa to try his hand at some long balls and make use of Khimki keeper Gavrilov's bad clearance. Despite starting off with the initiative, the Premier League outsiders soon lost the ball to Khimki. Solovyev made a run on the left flank, passing to Gvazaev, whose shot flew right into Dynamo keeper Shunin's hands. The next attempt was a solid one, and Shunin came through with a save, converting the powerful shot to a corner. Jantscher made occasional runs on the right flank, but the striker so far is the Lukas Podolski of his new team - his past success on the pitch is not very visible in the present. Khimki were quick to counter at every opportunity, though in most cases the players sent the ball high over the bar. Komkov's chip shot tested Shunin, and the keeper came through with a great save. As the game drew closer to a scoreless halftime, Dynamo created one serious attempt, led by skipper Igor Semshov's long ball. Gavrilov's diving save left the ball in play, and Kevin Kuranyi picked up the rebound, but the keeper was quick to react a second time. With six players up front for another attack, it seemed illogical that Dynamo wouldn't open up the score, but Granat's cross from the left flank only resulted in another high shot by Kuranyi. The lack of Aleksandr Kokorin was just as apparent as the absence of Cesc Fabregas would be for Barcelona. Dynamo Manager Dan Petrescu had his usual falling out with the referees. Taking cover behind the local police, he was ultimately escorted off the pitch by the fourth official, forced to watch the rest of the match from the stands.

Despite having a home field advantage and being well ahead in the game, Khimki were first to make a substitution, bringing out their injured player. The match remained the same - Dynamo looked like they had switched places with Khimki, with veterans Semshov and Kuranyi losing the ball in the box, unable to get even one shot on Gavrilov's net. Naturally, Petrescu's team was first to concede, as Filatov's cross from the left flank gave Sobolev a close-range shot that Shunin failed to save. Dynamo responded by strengthening the midfield, bringing out Misimovic for Noboa and 19-year-old reserve player Ivan Solovyev for Nekhaichik. Weak attempts by Misimovic and Kuranyi were like flies for keeper Gavrilov. The Blue-and-Whites collected a series of unnecessary yellows. Too many passes drew out Dynamo's combinations into long, grueling progressions. The entrance of another rookie, Andrei Panyukov, got Dynamo back into an attack-oriented game, though they nearly conceded a second goal after Fernandez lost the ball in the 18-yard box, while his teammate gave away a dangerous free kick. In a worst-case scenario, Khimki would have gotten their second win over Dynamo since 2006. Yet Leandro Fernandez made up for his defensive mishap. After a cross into the box, the Argentine made a last-second pass as he flew past the goal line to Kevin Kuranyi, who finished the job inches away from the net. The team once again avoided a Khimki goal after Komkov's dangerous cross in the box went out, neither of his teammates willing to go the extra mile. As the guest team's fans chanted louder and louder, and snow began to lightly fall on the pitch, 18-year-old Andrei Panyukov picked up a beautiful through ball in a solo run and swiveled before sending in the goal and sending his team to the Quarterfinals. Khimki were back on the attack, however, and there were still four minutes left to change the score. Fortunately for the Blue-and-Whites, Khimki's long balls and set pieces flew far from the net.

"Loyalty to the grave". Khimki supporters hope for a win.

Though not as stylish a comeback as Arsenal's, both Dynamo and the Gunners are through to their respective Quarterfinals. Dynamo will face Hiddink's Anzhi for a spot in the Semifinals. It'll be a tough match, especially for Petrescu's team. The manager would do well to rotate the keepers and let the veteran Roman Berezovsky play instead of Anton Shunin. The latter was excluded from Capello's NT roster, and for good reason. Unlike Shunin, the 38-year-old Berezovsky has a brilliant record and is a penalty-saving legend. Ironically, he had a spell at FC Khimki, where he played 175 games before being sold to Dynamo. Another important player is forward Aleksandr Kokorin, who will hopefully be fit for that match as well - he's a goal-scoring giant when he wants to be, and like Panyukov, he's still young and can do wonders for his career by giving his best.

Dynamo manager Dan Petrescu gestures from the stands.

"The team showed character today, winning against a very uncompromising opponent," said Dan Petrescu in an interview with the club's press. Regarding Panyukov and the other rookies, Petrescu believes that every player has a chance to become a regular starter for the team if he proves himself. He spoke briefly about the game, but failed to elaborate on the situation with the referees, saying only that he has a valid reason to be upset. "Many of the referee's decisions, in particular his whistles and bookings in our direction, I cannot understand. But the fact that only we (Dynamo) were punished is, in my opinion, very strange."

If Arsenal fans have long debated the importance of winning the League Cup, Chelsea's legendary defender and current Dynamo manager knows exactly where he stands on the issue. "I don't ask that question," he said. "For me, there's only the next game."

Russian Cup - 1/8th

Wednesday, October 31, 12:00PM EST

FC Dynamo Moscow vs. FC Khimki Moscow - 2:1 (0:0)

Stadium: Arena Khimki (Moscow)

Referee: Vasili Miroshnichenko (Rostov-on-Don)

Goals:

0:1 Vladimir Sobolev (56')

1:1 Kevin Kuranyi (Asst. Leandro Fernandez) (82')

2:1 Andrei Panyukov (87')

Match Stats - Half Time

8(5) : 7(3) shots (on goal)

2:3 corners

2:0 offsides

7:6 fouls

2:0 yellow cards

57:43% possession

Match Stats - Full Time

14(9) : 14:(3) shots (on goal)

6:4 corners

2:0 offsides

6:2 yellow cards

Highlights:

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Founder and Editor

Aleks V is a NYC-based multimedia storyteller. Her 7 years in sports include contributing to various online and print media, including FourFourTwo and PRWeek, working for FC Dynamo Moscow and the New York Cosmos, and being featured on SB Nation. Since 2011, she runs the GoalChatter soccer blog and has also produced, written, and hosted a weekly radio show of the same name. Her diverse background includes graphic design, photography, and video production/editing. She is also an award-winning writer on Comedywire and has performed at Gotham Comedy Club.